As 6-foot, 225-pound running back Dillon Dunathan has continued running around, over and through opponents, Damascus High football coach Josh Klotz discovered his star player’s attitude is infectious.
“I’ve always been impressed by Dillon and what he does, but I’ve also been impressed with our offensive line and how much fun they have blocking for him,” Klotz said. “The passion and violence that Dillon plays with rubs off on them. At 225 pounds, he’s a handful to tackle. He practices hard, he prepares hard and he plays hard.”
All that hard work has led Damascus back to the state championships for the fifth time in nine years. Dunathan has led the way, rushing for 702 yards and 10 touchdowns in three playoff games, including 245 yards and four touchdowns as the Swarmin’ Hornets beat River Hill of Howard County, 42-7, in a Maryland 3A semifinal this past Friday.
For his efforts, Dunathan was named the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame High School Athlete of the Week.
Each week throughout the school year, the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame is partnering with Montgomery Community Media to honor an Athlete of the Week from the county’s more than 40 public and private high schools.
The Athletes of the Week will be presented with a commemorative hat and certificate at the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 induction ceremony at the Silver Spring Civic Building this Sunday at 3 p.m.
A four-year member of the Damascus varsity football team, Dunathan entered the season with high expectations. Although his offseason was hampered by mononucleosis, he knew the importance of being prepared for a high workload at the season’s most critical time. While he might have been limited to a handful of carries in some regular season blowouts, Dunathan has shined in the season’s biggest games. He also has made 58 tackles on defense, with 21 tackles for loss and six sacks.
“At we got into the playoffs, we were going to rely on our best players,” Klotz said. “Dillon really worked on his body in the offseason to be ready for this situation and he’s answered the call.”
